Creativity Verses Form ~ Alliterisen

David & Sangeetha‘s new poetry project

David  of The Skeptic’s Kaddish and I began a fun poetry partnership in April. We just celebrated writing together a 100 verse renga, The Hyakuin  And within days, decided we would absolutely love to continue our writing collaboration and what has grown to be a warm friendship with a new poetry project.

We decided to explore poetry forms. A to Z. Each week one of us chooses a poetry form the other responds to. We completed our first series Form verses creativity in June ’22. And we’re now on to the next set of poetry forms A to Z ~ Creativity Verses Form. We added a little twist for version2.0, with a key word starting with the same letter. Here’s Alliterisen and keyword for the week is ‘Alternatives’.

For ‘A’, David selected the ‘Alliterisen’ form and the keyword ‘Alternatives’.

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A: Alliterisen

“Alternatives“

David’s Alliterisen

Are choices the choosers? Perhaps people misreckon.
Whether we attempt alternatives or not, life loops around.
Those things that once granted great gratification
Often still satisfy though we've tried turning to others.
I wonder whether it's nature or nurture,
Don't you? Innate programming persists. Hardwired with wills,
We examine existence but learn little of life.

Sangeetha’s Alliterisen

Do we explore existence, choosers chary of choice? 
Tiptoeing tentatively, do we wander on a  whimsy 
Crystal clear that decisions are left for later? 
Shall we simper silently or laugh ludicrously loud? 
Learn life lessons or fly by frivolously? 
Is the present perfect or tomorrow the treasure? 
Is Fate foretold Or does choice choose it for us? With love...

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Alliterisen?

• The Alliterisen is a seven-lined poem with a specific syllable pattern and two alliterations per line. (Alliteration is the succession of similar consonant sounds. They are not recognized by spelling, but rather by sounds.)
• The syllable structure for the Complex Alliterisen is as follows:
  • 1^st line- x syllables
  • 2^nd line- x+2 syllables
  • 3^rd line- x-1 syllables
  • 4^th line- (x+2)-1 syllables
  • 5^th line- x-2 syllables
  • 6^th line- (x+2)-2 syllables
  • 7^th line- x syllables

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Sangeetha & David’s ‘Creativity verses form’

1. The Alliterisen